Luna Lovegood: A Second Thought
by WhiskeyTangoFoxtrot
Summary: One-shot, complete. Missing canon moment between HBP and DH. Equuys and Trinocerous and Snorkacks, oh my! This is how Luna describes her friends to her doting father. Part of my "A Second Thought" series. Reviews are definitely appreciated!


**A/N: **I own nothing. Rated K for . . . well, there's absolutely nothing in here that should be objectionable :) Unbeta'd.

This particular one-shot is strictly canon-compliant; it's Missing Moment between _Half-Blood Prince and The Deathly Hallow_ — Luna has drawn the portraits that Harry found up on her ceiling in _Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows_, and she explains to her father exactly _what _each portrait reminds her of. This is pure fluff, and written with tremendous affection for Luna's creative ideas! Reviews are greatly appreciated!

Please feel free to check out my other one-shots set in my "_**A Second Thought**_" universe, and also my multi-chapter work, _**Daphne Greengrass and the 6**__**th**__** Year From Hell **(Rated T for language and mature situations)_, which is canon-compliant/slightly AU.

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**LUNA LOVEGOOD: A SECOND THOUGHT.**

**In her bedroom, in July, of the summer before her sixth year . . .**

"_Oh_! Oh – ho – _ho_! What is this? My lovely ray of summer sunshine sits at her desk, sketching?"

Luna gave her father a dreamy smile. She quite liked it when he spoke alliteratively.

"Hello Father," Luna said in a whispery voice. "Why, yes . . . yes I am." She picked up the last drawing she had just completed. "I'd like to hear what you think of my latest works."

Xenophilius Lovegood hummed in a happy way and took the drawing. He sat on the bed, and put on his pince-nez so he would make sure to catch the fine details that his daughter would most certainly include in her work.

"Why, _Luna_ . . . my dear," Xenophilius said brightly, "you've drawn a picture of _Harry Potter._"

Luna nodded, and continued to smile in a dreamy and faraway fashion. "I have, Father. I have also drawn my other friends . . ." she gestured to the other portraits just behind Harry's.

Xenophilius smile grew as he gave a little happy start, and he looked through his daughter's artwork.

"Oh, these _are_," Xenophilius said, "they're _breathtaking_, m'dear!"

"Thank you."

"So interesting," he kept looking at each picture in turns, twisting them this way and that, observing the images from different angles. "I do believe you have captured each person quite well." He held up two pictures. "_Ah_! Arthur and Molly's progeny, if I'm not mistaken?"

"Mmm-hmm. Those are of Ronald and Ginny."

Xenophilius took a close look at both pictures.

"Why, my little Luna-Beam . . . is it just my imagination or does young Miss Weasley somewhat resemble a . . . _the_. . . ." He snapped his fingers.

"The Scarlet-Spackled Equuy?"

"_Yes_! Precisely what I was going to say, sweetheart."

Luna nodded and smiled (to be quite honest, she had never stopped smiling once her father actually entered the room). "Well, I do think it's appropriate for her. Both the Equuy and Ginny don't like to be told what to do. They are both apt to bite off various body parts of anyone who tries to control them."

"Yes . . . well, there is definitely _that_ spirit that runs among the Weasley clan," Xenophilius said with a chuckle. "Her and her brother have the same color of hair as the Equuy as well." He let out a low whistle. "I will say that at least the youngest Weasley does not have as many spots as the Spackled Equuy."

Luna gave an airy laugh. "Ginny would be very happy to hear that . . . people always assume that the Equuy suffers from an unfortunate affliction of spattergroit. It's quite humorous, as spattergroit only really affects witches and wizards . . . _oh_, and the Plimpy-Horned Trinocerous as well." Luna blinked. "We shouldn't forget them."

"Oh, _no one _should forget about the Trinocerous. Quite an intimidating, but funny creature, isn't it?"

Luna spoke in her wistful way. "Absolutely. In fact, Ron Weasley rather reminds me of the Trinocerous at times."

"Oh?"

"If you remember," Luna began, still in a dreamy tone, "the Trinocerous is a very unusual-looking creature; it experiences occasional bouts of insecurity about its appearance and abilities to hunt—"

"It's coming back to me now, my dearest."

"Well, at times, the Trinocerous gets very blustery with any creature that antagonizes it. It's known for its short fuse and can be afflicted by acute bouts of grumpiness. For the Trinocerous, though, the worst thing for it to experience is feelings of inadequacy. If it loses a fight—"

"It digs a hole and sticks its head inside to hide from the other creatures, right?"

Luna nodded. "Ron Weasley was like that in my fourth year, when the Slytherins sang that _awful_ song about him, during his Quidditch match."

"Oh, _no_!"

"But _yes_!" Luna's eyebrows lowered just a small amount. "Father, you do remember what happens with the Trinocerous when they grow up?"

"Refresh my memory, sweetheart!"

"Well, over time, the Trinocerous gains more confidence and starts believing in itself, and it learns to take care of itself _and_ its whole herd. . . . The Trinocerous learns to fight its predators in _very_ creative — and rather funny — ways."

"Do they?"

"Mmm-hmm! One of the trademarks of the Trinocerous is that it strategizes just how it will take down its prey. It's capable of imitating the unique sounds of the creatures that prey on it . . . and it is also known to toss its own dung at any predators, much like a bomb—"

"A _bomb_ made out of _dung_?" Xenophilius laughed. "I never thought of such a thing! Well, that would certainly scare any creatures wishing to cause it harm."

Luna smiled and agreed with her father. "The Trinocerous certainly thrives on the unexpected and unknown."

"Such an unusual creature, the Trinocerous." Xenophilius took off his glasses and stared off into the distance, smiling absently and shaking his head dreamily.

"I'm actually surprised, Father, that there are so many magical creatures that suffer from inferiority complexes."

"Mmm," Xenophilius hummed inquisitively. "Such as the Bumblybird."

Luna bent over and looked at her portraits. She pulled one out to show her father.

"Isn't this is the Longbottom boy."

Luna's smile widened. "Yes it is! Neville's actually a Robust Bumblybird."

"Really?"

"_Really_. Neville's _very_ interesting, even if he does not know how interesting he truly is. His name is even as funny-sounding as the Bumblybird's, isn't it? But its name only helps to lure the other creatures that seek to do him harm."

"Aren't the predators of the Bumblybird lulled into a false sense of because of the Bumblybird's extremely difficult and awkward adolescent period?"

Luna nodded. "You're correct, Father! The young Bumblybird is seen as weak and as simply not having enough meat on it to be worthy of eating. However, as it grows up, not only does it become meatier, it also gains much power and internal strength. Its enemies always forget that the Bumblybird becomes very powerful, because it _is_ so clumsy in its youth — thus, its enemies never know what hit them!"

Xenophilius nodded and smiled. He looked through the pictures and pulled out another one. "Now, I don't remember her—"

"That's Hermione Granger, Father."

"She's the bright one, isn't she?"

"Yes, and that is certainly true . . . although she tends to only believe what she can see with her own eyes—"

"Rather like the Sagacious Oculophin?"

"Hmm . . . I actually had forgotten all about the Oculophin. But it _does _make sense, though, doesn't it? Hermione is a very logical thinker and she thrives in solving mysteries for Harry; the Oculophin loves solving puzzles and studying the immediate environment around it, which allows it to assist other Oculophins, such as the Noble-Breasted Oculophin and the Furry-Red Steadfast Oculophin, its two most constant companions. However, if you ask the Oculophin to seek out the Invisible Whirlycock, it spends the next two hours growling at and disagreeing with you because it cannot believe that the Whirlycock exists!"

Xenophilius chuckled. "Is that like your friend Hermione?"

Luna nodded slowly. "If something cannot be found in books or the teachers at school do not teach it, Hermione thinks it doesn't exist. She doesn't believe in the Crumple-Horned Snorkack—"

"_Sacrilege_!"

Luna let out a dreamy laugh. "It's one of the things that I'm working on with her."

"I see. Good for _you_, Luna, for opening your friends' minds to things that they may not necessarily believe in."

"I think it's important, Father."

Xenophilius turned to the final picture in the stack. "And _Harry_ _Potter _— do you know what animal he would be?"

Luna's head bobbed up and down, _very_ enthusiastically. "Would you like to take a guess?"

Xenophilius sat forward, in a very excited fashion. "Oh, _definitely_, m'dear . . . _definitely_!"

"Well, Harry is very nice, but he can become quite moody, particularly if someone tries to go after people that he cares about—"

"That is certainly understandable."

"It is, Father. Harry does have a compulsion to save people, but deep down, I know that he has only the best intentions. He feels the weight of the world on his shoulders, and sometimes he doesn't know how to relax, or _if_ he can relax and just be a normal boy, but he does develop strong bonds with others who look out for him and help him along his way."

"Hmm . . . let's see . . . Generally has a good temperament, but prone to shifting moods . . . is responsible for any large group it's leading . . . feels bad if its 'herd' is trampled on or hurts when it leads hunts or battles with other species . . . why," Xenophilius reared back and straightened his back, "Harry sounds like . . . _like_—" He pointed a finger at his daughter, a bit too stunned to even talk.

"He's just like the Crumple-Horned _Snorkack_!" Luna exclaimed exuberantly, which really meant she spoke in bright, slightly less dreamy tone.

Xenophilius slapped his knee. "I have _never _met any wizard or witch that embodied the Snorkack, Luna. Great Circe's Spirit!" Xenophilius guffawed loudly. "Why, can I meet Harry Potter?"

"Absolutely, Father. I'll make sure that you'll meet him. He was so kind to me this past year. I told you that he took me to Professor Slughorn's Christmas party, right?"

Xenophilius leaned in to his daughter and whispered, "You _did_ make sure to take some extra Essence of Garlic? I heard Rufus Scrimgeour _was _invited to attend—"

"Oh no . . . it was okay. Harry assured me that Minister Scrimgeour would be on his best behavior and wouldn't try to bite anybody. Besides, the Minister never showed up."

"Okay, well . . . that's good." He patted his daughter on her head. "Wouldn't want anything to harm my precious Moonbeam," he said with a sigh. "Harry Potter _is _the _Snorkack_." Xenophilius shook his head in disbelief and sat straight up. "I wonder if we could convince young Mister Potter to start an organization to help benefit the discovery and research of the Snorkacks currently in existence?"

Luna's eyes widened in excitement. "I think that would be a _brilliant_ idea! What would you call it?"

Xenophilius brought his hand to his chin, rubbing it as he thought of a decent name. He snapped his fingers, apparently struck by inspiration. "How about," he said, holding his hands in front of his face and moving them apart in the air to emphasize each word, "'Snorkack Understanding, Knowledge and Recognition Society'?" He looked at his daughter hopefully.

"Hmm . . . that would be S.U.K.R.S., wouldn't it?'

Xenophilius nodded.

Luna furrowed her brow . . .

And she got up out of her chair and hugged her father around his neck.

"I _love_ it!"

Xenophilius gave his daughter a pat on the back and smiled and sighed. "And I _love_ you, my dearest, dearest daughter."


End file.
